The border is just a line. In the past it used to be a strand of barbed wire and some signs in the Arizona desert. Now it has become a barrier that’s harder and harder to cross. And being on one side of that barrier or another can dramatically affect your safety, your wealth and your opportunities.

In this series, NPR explores the border from Tijuana to the Texas coast. And most of the 2,000-mile frontier is infused with tension. Some of that tension comes from poverty. Some comes from the drug gangs. Some comes from the new fence and the Border Patrol agents in armored SUVs.

The U.S.-Mexico Border and Immigration Taskforce held a summit in Washington, DC yesterday. At the summit, the task force released their latest report titled “Effective Border Policy: Security, Responsibility and Human Rights“.

The great thing about this task force is that it is bringing together all stakeholders in the formation and articulation of immigration policy – from border community members, to local law enforcement, faith leaders, local elected officials, businesses and, of course, immigrant advocacy groups. This is truly a multi-faceted coalition, representing a sensible and effective approach to border policy.

Latina Lista has a great post, detailing the recommendations made by the task force and lauding the group as a new and powerful approach to border policy.

Perhaps the most revolutionary recommendation to emerge from the task force, and one that is long overdue, is the fact that these leaders represent a new attitude in border community leaders who are tired of the disrespect, dismissal and expectation of Washington for these communities to roll over and comply with policies mandated from DC that directly impact their quality of life — social, business and binational relationships — without including them in the decision-making process.

The full report can be downloaded here, but below is an excerpt from the executive summary: